warwick thumb nt5 from 1999 for 940 pounds. Yes or no?

[BELA]

The bass is in pretty good shape because it has been used few times.

Wenge/bubinga neck.

Is 940 quid a good deal?

 

Any typical faults or malfuctions I should look for in this model?

 

Thanks

Edited October 14, 2021 by BELA

[bigthumb]

I'd say yes at that price. 

[Al Krow]

You should just be aware that Warwick Thumbs have quite a rep for neck dive - even more in the 5 string versions with their broader slightly heavier necks.

Definitely something that would bug me, but I appreciate it's not an issue for everyone.

 

Edited October 15, 2021 by Al Krow

[LeftyJ]

940 for one of these is a great price, and those old wenge necks are fantastic! 1999 is just before they switched to thicker ovangkol necks. 

[funkle]

Yes. Good price.  
 

Neck dive, though, in part, caused me to sell mine. Also, the body shape makes the neck feel much longer - it sits much farther to the left than Fender style basses, and so your fretting hand has to reach much further. That gave me symptoms of carpal tunnel, and was the other death knell signalling the end of my relationship with that instrument. 
 

I had the same problems with both the 4 string and 5 string Thumbs. Such a shame, they felt, played, smelled, and sounded great otherwise. 

[warwickhunt]

Bargain at that price.  

[BELA]

1 hour ago, LeftyJ said:

940 for one of these is a great price, and those old wenge necks are fantastic! 1999 is just before they switched to thicker ovangkol necks. 

I do not know if neck dive is going to be an issue for me this time.

You see, this is a sentimental buy. I am lefty and play lefty but this bass is righthanded.

I could as well buy an used lefty Thumb but, as I said before, this is a sentimental buy. I just like the right handed model better.

I mostly play seated.

Will the neck dive be worse this way (playing a right hand bass upside down and seated)?

 

[Al Krow]

44 minutes ago, funkle said:

Yes. Good price.  
 

Neck dive, though, in part, caused me to sell mine. Also, the body shape makes the neck feel much longer - it sits much farther to the left than Fender style basses, and so your fretting hand has to reach much further. That gave me symptoms of carpal tunnel, and was the other death knell signalling the end of my relationship with that instrument. 
 

I had the same problems with both the 4 string and 5 string Thumbs. Such a shame, they felt, played, smelled, and sounded great otherwise. 

 

In addition to the above (which very much echo my particular thoughts) is the weight. What folk find comfortable will obviously vary - with a really excellent strap, I'm good with 10 lbs as a top end comfortable weight but I've seen plenty of Thumbs come in at 10.5lbs to 11.5lbs which sadly is another deal breaker for me - shame because I love the Warwick growl! 

 

Edited October 15, 2021 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

11 minutes ago, BELA said:

I do not know if neck dive is going to be an issue for me this time.

You see, this is a sentimental buy. I am lefty and play lefty but this bass is righthanded.

I could as well buy an used lefty Thumb but, as I said before, this is a sentimental buy. I just like the right handed model better.

I mostly play seated.

Will the neck dive be worse this way (playing a right hand bass upside down and seated)?

 

The weight and neck dive should be less of an issue when seated, as you should be able to more comfortably support the neck with your fretting arm. (For me gigging a bass, that's obviously not an option).

Interestingly a lot of the YT videos demonstrating Thumbs are of players seated!

 

Edited October 15, 2021 by Al Krow

[funkle]

6 minutes ago, BELA said:

I do not know if neck dive is going to be an issue for me this time.

You see, this is a sentimental buy. I am lefty and play lefty but this bass is righthanded.

I could as well buy an used lefty Thumb but, as I said before, this is a sentimental buy. I just like the right handed model better.

I mostly play seated.

Will the neck dive be worse this way (playing a right hand bass upside down and seated)?

 

Honestly unsure. Been too long since I played one. If it did neck dive seated, lighter tuners would probably sort it for you. Some instruments I have had have been terrible neck divers no matter whether seated or standing. But lighter tuners helped, generally. 

[vincbt]

I have a Warwick NT5. The neck dive and weight are issues, but I don't find them severe enough to sell my bass (even though I would probably trade it for an equivalent 4 strings). I have strap locks and a neoprene comfort strap and that does it for me. Prices I've seen here and elsewhere for similar basses range between £1,500 and £1,800 so £940 is a good price. 

I think it's more an issue with BO than NT, but make sure the neck is not warped, it can happen with Warwick,

Edited October 15, 2021 by vincbt

[OliverBlackman]

4 hours ago, BELA said:

I do not know if neck dive is going to be an issue for me this time.

You see, this is a sentimental buy. I am lefty and play lefty but this bass is righthanded.

I could as well buy an used lefty Thumb but, as I said before, this is a sentimental buy. I just like the right handed model better.

I mostly play seated.

Will the neck dive be worse this way (playing a right hand bass upside down and seated)?

 

If you’re a lefty I’ll take it 😂

[Kev]

Smashing price, anything sub £1k for a NT Warwick is an absolute bargain.

[Bassfinger]

Thats a very attractive price if you're a fan...which I'm not. Nothing abainst them, they just don't excite me, and a bag of sand gets some very tasty alternatives.

[WinterMute]

I had an 87 Thumb 5 with the single-piece Schaller style bridge, it was a monster, balanced, powerful, beautiful to play, not a hint of neck dive, they changed the body shape and the headstock design quite a bit over the years, the curved body went slabby and the woods changed.

 

I'd still say that was worth a look at though.

[Lfalex v1.1]

£940 is a good price. 

For reference, the Thumb 5 NT that I tried in 1997 was £2.5k in the Bass Centre. 

I found the lower horn didn't sit well in my lap. It was too short to "hang on" to my thigh.

If you're going to string/play it upside-down, that's less likely to be an issue!

[Kev]

Classic Basschat advice thread, ask a question, get unsolicited advice on others 🙃

 

May as well chime in; I’ve owned over half a dozen NT Thumbs, not one has had neck dive.  I think it may have been common in the dodgy years between 2000 and 2009 or so, when the necks were much thicker. Owned a few BO’s and they were all terrible for it, particularly the 5’ers.  

[yorks5stringer]

On 15/10/2021 at 11:51, funkle said:

Yes. Good price.  
 

Neck dive, though, in part, caused me to sell mine. Also, the body shape makes the neck feel much longer - it sits much farther to the left than Fender style basses, and so your fretting hand has to reach much further. That gave me symptoms of carpal tunnel, and was the other death knell signalling the end of my relationship with that instrument. 
 

I had the same problems with both the 4 string and 5 string Thumbs. Such a shame, they felt, played, smelled, and sounded great otherwise. 

"Smelled"? That's a new criterion to go along with neck width, action and tone woods! "I'm getting hints of rhodesian forests, along with notes of earth, nuts and tobacco"

 

Thinking about it, I have a 72 Telecaster Bass which just smells old but most of that is due to the old musty case it sits in......

[WinterMute]

29 minutes ago, yorks5stringer said:

"Smelled"? That's a new criterion to go along with neck width, action and tone woods! "I'm getting hints of rhodesian forests, along with notes of earth, nuts and tobacco"

 

Thinking about it, I have a 72 Telecaster Bass which just smells old but most of that is due to the old musty case it sits in......

No, he's right, Warwicks shipped with a particularly aromatic wax that left the bass smelling very distinctive.

[funkle]

1 hour ago, yorks5stringer said:

"Smelled"? That's a new criterion to go along with neck width, action and tone woods! "I'm getting hints of rhodesian forests, along with notes of earth, nuts and tobacco"

 

Thinking about it, I have a 72 Telecaster Bass which just smells old but most of that is due to the old musty case it sits in......

 

It smelled great. It was part of the very pleasant experience of owning a Warwick. It didn’t make it play any better, or fix the way it hung or balanced, but it was very nice 😆 

[fretmeister]

940 lb seems quite light for some of these.

[Boomhower]

Hi all, I'm in Texas, and have a '98 neck thru 4, which I bought new.

I think I played maybe two gigs with it.

I've experienced all the traits mentioned, with mine.

I also have a '98 Martin B15-E, an '83 Rickenbacker 4003 Netflix, and a few more, but they never get used.

My baby is a '94 Peavey Fury, I gave $130 U.S. for, in a pawn shop near Atlanta, Ga.

I had to disassemble it, and buy a Wal-Mart suitcase,wrapping it in dirty clothes to get it home on the plane. 

I gave around $1700 U.S. for it new.

That bass the OP is talking about .......how much or little is that in U.S. dollars?

new 

Also bought a new Aguilar DB 359, and the 2 x 12 cab for it about the same time.

Never have used it. 

We use IEMs now.

I'll probably wind up selling some of that extra gear later.

After almost 25 years, covid may be the demise of our band.